More than 300 unnecessary street signs have been taken down from the side of Northamptonshire’s roads.

Last year, the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, wrote to councils across the country, urging them to ‘de-clutter’ the nation’s roads.

In response, NCC has taken down 316 redundant, damaged or illegal signs as well as 586 sign posts.

The leader of the authority, Councillor Jim Harker (Con, Kettering Rural) said: “There has always been a difficult balance between essential road signing and unsightly clutter.

“Often signs that were once installed to address a hazard, tourist destination or required to comply with regulations are now no longer needed due to either a change in layout or a relaxation in legislation.

“In some areas this had led to a proliferation of redundant signs.

“And not only is street clutter unsightly, it can also distract and confuse drivers, which can be a safety issue.”

The council worked with the area’s MPs, parish council and the Campaign to Protect Rural England to identify signs which could be taken down.

More than half the signs which have been removed will be used to replace other signs across the county which have deteriorated. Others will be used on new road projects, saving the county council an estimated £14,500.

The move to cut back on the number of un-needed signs has been welcomed by the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

The chairman of the Northampton branch of the association, John Norrie, said: “I’m all in favour of reducing the number of signs there are.

“There are some roads in Northamptonshire where there’s just a barrage of signs that people can’t take in.

“So it’s good there’s been a cut back and I would imagine a lot of people haven’t even noticed.”

Any signs which have been taken down by the county council which cannot be used elsewhere will be recycled and it is planned that more signs will be taken down over the summer.

A team representing MGWSP, Northamptonshire County Council and PGR Construction, who were key to the success of the scheme and ‘being considerate’, attended the event and were delighted when it was announced we had won GOLD. This is the second time MGWSP have been presented with a Considerate Constructors award, having received a Bronze for the Northampton Gold Street Public Realm scheme in 2010.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme is the national initiative set up by the construction industry to improve its image, with awards held annually. The awards are presented to the top 7.5% of sites registered with the Scheme; 8,500 sites were eligible for the awards. Each site is judged on eight areas; Considerate, Environmental, Appearance, A Good Neighbour, Respectful, Safety, Responsible and Accountable.

Considerate Constructor monitor, Stan Marlow, visited the site twice and felt there was a very high standard of planning, management and control and that the exemplary way we worked was a credit to the team.

Talking to Stan yesterday at the event he also added that: “I was questioned by the judges about some of my scoring as I gave 5 out of 5 for being considerate, environmentally aware and being a good neighbour. Scores like that are rare, and to have 3 is very rare, but I truly do believe that the MGWSP team deserve these top scores and have really showed what it means to be a Considerate Contractor.”

As Nick Clarke collected the award from Michael Ankers, Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association, many of the schemes considerate initiatives were described in detail to the 300 strong audience, which comprised of key industry figures from around the UK. During the announcement MGWSP were described as  “great ambassadors of the industry and excellent examples of considerate site management”.

Sites and companies that register with the Scheme are monitored against a Code of Considerate Practice, designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements.

To find out more call Rebecca on 07500 579305

Read more here

Transport for London has shortlisted 10 contractors for a £1.8bn package of road maintenance work over the next eight years and MGWSP are in the frame.

The London Highways Alliance Framework will carve Greater London into four regions to win big operational savings.

New contracts will cover both road maintenance and new build schemes, and for the first time, have the scope to cover all roads in London.

A third of London’s boroughs have already signed up to the contracts, with the hope that all will eventually get on board.

Dana Skelley, Director of Roads for Surface Transport at TfL, said: “The Capital’s road networks are the arteries and veins that keep the city moving.

“By having highway contracts which can be used by all London boroughs, we can not only deliver greater efficiencies in terms of cost and disruption, but also work together more closely to trial innovation and improve the road network for all.”

The new contracts are expected to be awarded at the end of the year. After that all work will be carried out to a common specification to allow sharing of resources and use of the same basic materials.

The winning contractors will also be required to pay the London Living Wage, take on local apprentices and help tackle any skill gaps within local workforces.

Contractors and subcontractors will also need to be active members of TfL’s Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS).

This ensures all vehicles weighing more than 18 tonnes are fitted with side guards, blind-spot warning devices and appropriate rear signage to minimise the risks to vulnerable road users.

Roadworks are a place of work and the people carrying out the work deserve just as much respect as you would expect at work.

Rebecca Miller of MGWSP explains:

“We are asking people to be more aware and consider the way they drive when they see roadworks.  We have had people driving through coned areas and narrowly missing our workers, and others nearly knocked over by cars ignoring stop and go signs.  It’s not worth it just for the sake of getting to your destination a little faster. Arrive there safe.  Driving through half a mile of roadworks at 70mph takes just 10 seconds less than driving at 50mph – a 10 second saving which can put lives at risk.”

Teams working on the roads have also been verbally abused, threatened and even had missiles thrown at them by drivers or passengers who have a grievance about where the work is being carried out or the short-term interference it causes for traffic.

How was your day? Here are just some of the real answers from MGWSP workers since the start of September……………….

‘I nearly had my head taken off by a car going through the cones into our site whilst I was down a manhole’

‘No one paid any attention to the stop/go signs and nearly hit me driving through at speed’

People again think it is funny to knock all the cones down as they drive past’

‘I got punched for doing my job’

Every single day workers face these types of issues. But this is not just about the workers. Speed restrictions, cones, barriers, signs are there to protect us but equally to make travelling through works safe for the travelling public.  There is often more than one victim and that victim could be the driver.

So when you are approaching roadworks: 

• Keep within the speed limit – it is there for your safety

• Get into the correct lane in good time – don’t keep switching

• Concentrate on the road ahead, not the roadworks

• Be alert for works’ traffic leaving or entering roadworks

• Keep a safe distance – there could be queues in front

• Observe all signs – they are there to help you

Rebecca adds: ‘MGWSP’s road workers are not there to cause delays or make journeys inconvenient . They work tirelessly to make our journeys easier and improve our roads and footways. We hope that the ‘Respect’ campaign encourages all road users to be patient and drive carefully through road works and other areas of the network where our staff are working, bearing in mind the valuable job these people do for them.” 

You can now follow MGWSP Northamptonshire Highways on Twitter @nnhighways for up to date information on works and gritting.

We are delighted to announce that MGWSP Northamptonshire Highways has been selected as a finalist for the Management for Resource Efficiency Award  for our submission on CO2 reduction.

Some of the greenest companies in the UK have been chosen as finalists for this year’s Environmental Leadership Awards.

All the shortlisted companies made it through the BCE’s rigorous judging process and received an on-site visit by an expert assessor.

Representing achievements from a range of business sizes, the 13 finalists demonstrate that UK companies continue to show leadership on environmental issues, according to BCE Awards president Sir Anthony Cleaver.

“We’ve been very impressed with the commitment to the environment made by UK business in the face of extremely challenging economic conditions and had a record number of entries for this year’s awards” “We commend all the organisations that have made it on to the shortlist for these prestigious awards and look forward to congratulating the winners in June,” said Sir Anthony.

Nadine Peet, Environmental Manager at MGWSP said: “We are so pleased to have been shortlisted for this award. It has been nice to receive recognition for the way we have set up and managed environmental risks and our overall passion for being sustainable. It shows that every little step, no matter how small, can help us to reach our goal of protecting and enhancing the environment.” 

The awards will take place at The Lincoln Centre, London on Wednesday 20 June 2012.

The Business Commitment to the Environment (BCE) Environmental Leadership Awards scheme was established in 1975. Since then, it has been showcasing UK environmental excellence and recognising businesses whose activities enhance or protect the environment while meeting commercial demands. The BCE Award scheme is the UK’s (and probably the world’s) oldest environmental awards. BCE is unique in that it is run by business rather than any regulator, authority or Government agency – it rewards the efforts of business to address environmental issues without regulatory intervention.

In Northamptonshire – where the MGWSP joint venture between May Gurney and WSP is responsible for highways maintenance – the Snow Desk, a round-the-clock staffed control hub, was brought into operation on Saturday before the first snow fell.

Staff monitor a bank of screens showing the real-time position of snowfall, accidents caused by icy weather and the county’s fleet of gritters. Controllers are in direct contact with emergency services who can warn of accidents which suggest areas that need special attention. Gritters can then be directed to the areas in most urgent need, rather than sticking to pre-assigned routes.

Tony Ciaburro, director of environment, development & transport Northamptonshire County Council, said: “A fantastic job over the weekend. These things don’t just happen by chance so well done and thanks to all concerned from the planning to the delivery in the early hours.”

You can keep up to date by following us on Twitter @nnhighways or go to www.northamptonshire.gov.uk.

The Engineering Education Scheme in England & Scotland links teams of four Year 12 or S5/S6 students and their teacher with local companies to work on real, scientific, engineering and technological problems. The scheme provides students with an in-depth experience in science, engineering and technology that will enable them to make an informed decision about their future studies and career.

The two MGWSP mentors, Andrew Avallone and Shane Collins, have tasked the four Brooke Weston students with identifying and solving transport problems around their school, and the solution they develop will be the basis of a real-life highways project which will be funded out of the Safer Routes to School budget.

Andrew Avallone, MGWSP’s CDM (construction design and management regulations) manager, said: “We will be introducing the students to the concept of problem solving and planning, identifying and understanding the task and mapping out key milestones that have to be met.

“We will also show them research techniques, report writing and communication skills. The students will see how to measure and build up a scheme and the costs behind it.”

The Engineering Education Scheme extends to more than 100 hours and at the end participants file a detailed report and present their completed project to industry experts at a special celebration day in April. Successful students may also be eligible for the CREST Gold Award which recognises engineering success.

Nigel Barrett, design technology teacher at Brooke Weston, said: “This will be a really interesting project with lots of different aspects for our students to explore. We are looking forward to working with MGWSP because they bring a wealth of engineering knowledge.”

Balfour Beatty will be carrying out all PFI related designs and installation work and are also able to design and install any other installations as required.

Balfour Beatty’s customer care team can be contacted on 0800 0850 257 or email enquiries@lightingnorthamptonshire.com

Drivers in Northamptonshire can now receive updates online about which roads have been gritted in the county. We set up a Gritter Twitter in 2010 to feed information to the social networking website, Twitter.

The service is used to tweet regular updates on the weather, road conditions and gritting activity.